This is another Mark Bittman find. I sincerely love his book. If you buy only one cookbook, get one of his. He gives you a basic recipe and then he tells you the multitude of ways you can change it. For example, with this dish, you can use any other root veggie similar to sweet potatoes. Obviously, we’re all familiar with sweet potatoes and potatoes, but celeriac, turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips would work just fine here. Since I’m trying to get away from potatoes, but love the nutrition and fullness root veggies bring me, I’ll be trying this a bunch of different ways.
Also, you can make this just like this basic recipe, or you can use bacon grease, or butter. I tried butter and added marshmallows for my picky boy who desperately needs to eat more fiber and veggies. He hates potatoes but loves sweet potatoes with a little added sweetness. Win win!
Here’s the basics…
I used one large sweet potato (okay, technically, it was a yam, but they’re interchangeable in this country). You could use two. The one was more than enough for me and my 8 year old. Peel it.
Shred it! You can use a box grater, but I finally got a real food processor and, let me tell you, it makes this job go so much quicker than I could have imagined.
Take a garlic clove or two. Mince it or, in our case because we have fructose problems, smash it. Pour some olive oil into a pan and sautee the garlic for a few minutes. If you have problems with FODMAPs like us, pull the clove out. Otherwise, add the minced garlic later with the sweet potatoes while they are cooking.
Then, heat the olive oil to medium-high. Add the sweet potatoes in one even layer. Try not to crowd the pan. You want the sweet potatoes to brown, not steam, as Bittman says. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for about 5 minutes, until the underside is lightly browned. Turn the heat down if the sweet potatoes are getting cooked too quickly. Then flip!
Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so that the sweet potatoes get cooked all of the way.
And then they’re done! Yum!
Meat Babe 